Qualitative Applications:

Flame photometric methods are hugely used for the determination of alkali and the alkaline earth metals within samples which are simply prepared as aqueous solutions. A few of these elements could be detected visually through the color in the flame, e.g. sodium generates yellow flame. Thus, this method is not extremely reliable. The best technique is to use flame photometer along with a filter or monochromator to separate radiation within the wavelengths features of the different metals from other radiations present. It will indicate the presence of the metal in the sample if the radiation of the characteristic wavelength is detected.

The method to carry out detection of elements through flame photometry is fast, easy and if carried out along with care, quite reliable. Therefore, there are a few difficulties. It does not give information about the molecular structure of the compound present in the sample solution. Nonradiating element like as carbon, hydrogen and halides cannot be detected. These could only be determined under special circumstances.